Patient-Friendly Explanation

Resting energy expenditure is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest — just to keep your heart beating, lungs breathing, and cells working. It makes up 60–75% of your total daily calorie burn and varies based on muscle mass, age, and hormones.

Clinical Definition

Resting energy expenditure (REE), also termed resting metabolic rate (RMR), is the energy required to maintain basic physiological functions in a thermoneutral, post-absorptive state. It is primarily determined by fat-free mass (FFM), with contributions from thyroid hormones, sympathetic nervous system activity, and uncoupling proteins. Adaptive thermogenesis can reduce REE by 10–20% during caloric restriction.

Why It Matters

Understanding a patient’s REE allows for personalised calorie prescriptions that avoid the metabolic slowdown of overly aggressive dieting. NuLifeCare Singapore incorporates metabolic principles into every treatment plan.